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A Purposeful Life
When we embark on a journey to conquer time tyranny, we move from losing time to finding it. Our next move is to choose how we will spend it. The art of choosing the meaningful means being fully present and able to use our time in ways that make our life more authentic and joyful, purposeful and satisfying.
When making choices, we need to pause and reflect on the future and consider the impact of our present choice on our future selves. Colossians 1:9–12 reminds us that we have access to knowledge through our relationship with God. He gives wisdom and understanding, and when we use these resources we can live a worthwhile life, bear fruit, grow closer to God, and have access to his strength to persevere joyfully! With a vision and plan for moving forward, we can find the road and the means to build a purposeful life—avoiding distractions, false urgencies, heartbreak and regret of lost time, and finding meaning, purpose, perspective, peace, healthy relationships, and happiness.
Relying on God’s wisdom, we can pause and tell ourselves the truth about the choices we have made. We can think deeply to find clearer vision before making more decisions. Constantly changing gears from one focus to the next without time to pause makes us unproductive, fatigued, and blurs your purpose and vision for timeless living. The key to good decisions is being truthful with yourself and then having faith that if it is not meant to be, there is a better option for you on the horizon.
Another aspect of a meaningful life is pushing outside your comfort zone. Designing a life that includes meaningful work, financial security, and a healthy family life takes work and a willingness to be flexible and creative—pushing outside our comfortable boundaries into uncertainty. Limiting ourselves to only what feels comfortable can be self-sabotage. Pushing past our doubts is a spiritual battle. When we begin to envision our possibilities, fear is inevitable, but it is not a stop sign. A meaningful life means saying no even when it is hard and saying yes to what is purposeful, even when it is frightening.
The key is taking the time to pray, think it through, decide what really matters, and chart a course that makes sense for you and your family—even if it doesn’t look like the norms around you. Ask: What is that my soul longs for?Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and notice what comes up as you ponder that question. Quiet gives you bandwidth to hear the divine whispers of wisdom that are drowned out by the noise of false urgencies.
As we move forward with our plan, we will need to pray and seek God’s wisdom often. The result is flow—an ease and satisfaction—when we are fully engaged with a person, project, or activity. Distractions are just background noise. We’ll also experience unburdened freetime, unencumbered by the feeling that we should be doing something else. The time is truly ours, unindebted to other commitments. We’re experiencing God’s peace and the reward of following his wisdom.
Respond
What new choices can you make that will have a postiive impact on your future?
Where do you need to push outside your comfort zone to pursue what is meaningful and timeless?
Where do you need God’s wisdom, knowledge, and understanding? How is investing in your relationship with God vital to creating a meaningful life?
